This invention relates to a hand-held flashlight and in particular to such a flashlight having a flexible core which may be pulled or twisted relative to a power end housing and/or a working end housing.
In U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 08/286,313 filed concurrently herewith in the names of Lee Eckert, Robert Kubicko and Julian Watt entitled "Flashlight With Flexible Core" and assigned to the same assignee as the assignee hereof, there is disclosed a flashlight with a flexible core. In the flashlight, a pair of conductive wires electrically connect a source of power to a power using implement. A flexible spine surrounds a pair of conductive wires and includes a plurality of interconnected universally rotatable members. A resilient sleeve engages the outer surface of the rotatable members forming the spine. Each end of the spine is connected to a corresponding anchor. One anchor connects one end of the spine to the power end housing and a second anchor connects the other end of the spine to the working end housing of the flashlight.
Each of the anchors fits within a corresponding bore formed in each of the two housings of the flashlight. The opposite ends of the resilient sleeve fit over the outer surface of a corresponding anchor and are thus sandwiched between the inner surface of the bore of one of the housings and the outer surface of the anchor held within the bore.
The flexible spine of the flashlight enables the flashlight to be bent, coiled or draped into various positions. Both the torsional and pulling forces applied to the flexible spine and to the resilient sleeve as a consequence of the bending, coiling or draping of the flexible core into various positions have a tendency to separate the core from the flashlight housings.
Accordingly it is an object of this invention to prevent the resilient sleeve of a flashlight having a flexible core from being separated from the housing sections of the flashlight either through torsional or axial forces and to prevent damage to the flexible spine and internal conductors due to excessive torsional action.